Committees (UTRGV School of Medicine)
Standing Committees
Committees in the UTRGV School of Medicine inform education, research, governance, administration and other key activities within the medical school. Below is the list of all official committees within the UTRGV School of Medicine.
Accreditation Review and Continuous Quality Improvement Committee (ARCQI)
The Accreditation Review and Continuous Quality Improvement Committee (ARCQIC) is responsible for regularly monitoring the accreditation standards of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) during the interval between accreditation visits for the purpose of continuous quality improvement of its medical education program. ARCQIC shall assure that benchmarks and measurements selected for monitoring are appropriate and measurable and provide monitoring and oversight of any action plans.
In addition, the ARCQIC committee shall address the following:
- Any existing or new elements where LCME expectations have evolved;
- Elements that include policies that must be congruent with current operations;
- Elements that directly or indirectly affect the core operations of the school; and
- Standards/elements that were cited in the SOM's previous LCME survey.
Standing Members
- Michael Uhrbrock (ex officio)
- Monica Alaniz (ex officio)
- Muriel Warren (ex officio)
Term Expires 2026
Term Expires 2025
Term Expires 2024
- James Fahey
- Michael Machiorlatti (Chair)
Contact Information
Michael Machiorlatti (Chair)
Email: Michael.Machiorlatti@utrgv.edu
Martin Rivas (Program Specialist)
Email: Martin.Rivas01@utrgv.edu
Ad Hoc Committee on Policies
The Ad Hoc Committee on Policies is responsible for creating a clear, coordinated, and well-communicated process for developing new policies and reviewing and amending existing policies for the school’s medical education program in a timely manner.
In addition, the Ad Hoc Committee on Policies shall address the following:
- Oversee and coordinate a process through which policies are developed, approved, reviewed and maintained, communicated, implemented and enforced
- In coordination with appropriate SOM committees, review and provide input on all new and existing policies
- Assess existing policies for consistency or conflict with other school policies or bylaws, LCME requirements, and University and UT Systems rules and regulations
- Provide guidance, upon request, regarding procedures concerning internal departmental, school, or functional-unit operations or as may be necessary to implement a policy
- Monitor depository that serves as an authoritative source for policies, including website page
- Assist in communicating policies to SOM community and facilitate implementation and compliance
Standing Members
- Stanley Fisch, Chair
- Johnathan Weisfeld-Hinojosa, Legal (Ex Officio, non-voting)
- Kelsey Baker or designee, Central Curriculum Authority Committee
- Joanne Curran or designee, Medical Student Evaluation & Performance Committee
- Cristel Escalona or designee, Admissions Committee
- Angela Cook, research representative
- Marlon Monayao, MS1
Admissions Committee
The Admissions Committee shall evaluate individual applicants, decide on offering interviews, and to decide the final ranking for acceptance following the interviews. The committee will make admission decisions in accordance with the educational goals articulated in the SOM mission statement. The committee will maintain independence and make decisions without external influence. The final authority for admissions decisions is the Admissions Committee. Decisions by the Admissions Committee cannot be overruled or rejected. The admissions Committee is empowered to create additional subcommittee as needed.
Standing Members
- Shawn Saladin
Term Expires 2026
- Alan Francis
- Alejandro Candil
- Manish Tripathi
- Mercy Azeke
- Michael Mahaney
- Roque Mifugi Lira
- Seval Ozkan Coban
- Yuri Cuellar
Term Expires 2025
- Angela Cook (ex officio)
- Carlos Ayala
- Christine Gerin
- Genaro Ramirez Correa
- Jose Cano
- Kent Carter
- Ney Alliey-Rodriguez
- Seratna Guadarrama
Term Expires 2024
- Cesar Gutierrez
- Cristel Escalona (Chair)
- Elvia Palomarez (MS1)
- Eron Manusov
- Frank Gilliam (Vice Chair)
- Paul Berry
- Rebecca Resendiz-Rodriguez
- Sheema Khan
- Shuaib Ahmed (MS1)
Ex Officio Members
- Angela Cook (ex officio)
Contact Information
Dr. Cristel Escalona (Chair)
Email: Cristel.Escalona@utrgv.edu
Caleb Treviono (Admin Support)
Email: Caleb.Trevino01@utrgv.edu
Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC)
The Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC) is the body that oversees the undergraduate medical education program. The CCAC provides central oversight and is responsible for the overall design, management, integration, evaluation and enhancement of a coherent and coordinated curriculum. Specifically, the CCAC shall:
- Define objectives that guide curricular content and provide the basis for program evaluations of effectiveness;
- Define types of patients, clinical conditions, levels of responsibility, and appropriate settings for student experiences;
- Assure that the curriculum incorporates opportunities for active learning, independent study, development of critical thinking and problem-solving, demonstration of ethical behaviors, and practice of communication skills;
- Assure assessment of student outcomes;
- Ensure comparable educational experiences across sites within a discipline;
- Ensure that student formative and summative assessments measure outcomes linked to defined curricular objectives and that students receive them in a timely manner;
- Access expertise in curricular design, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation methods;
- Utilize national norms of accomplishment as a frame of reference;
- Monitor content and workload in each discipline and identify gaps and redundancies;
- Evaluate both whole and component parts of the curriculum for achievement of medical education program objectives, revising curriculum continuously and with freedom from parochial, political or department pressures;
- Ensure logical sequencing of the various segments of the curriculum;
- Ensure content is coordinated and integrated within and across the academic periods of study (i.e., horizontal, and vertical integration);
- Establish graduation requirements for M.D. candidates;
- Ensure compliance with the LCME requirement; and
- Considers and approves all curriculum related policies.
Subcommittees of the CCAC
Standing Members
- Jeremy Gibson (ex officio)
- Monica Alaniz McGinnis (ex officio)
- Sambandam Elango (ex officio)
- Stephanie Atkins-Sharpe (ex officio)
- Wandy Cruz-Velazquez (ex officio)
Term Expires 2026
Term Expires 2025
- Amin Shah
- Denise de los Santos
- Fatimah Bello
- Jose Campo-Maldonado
- Juan Carlos Alvarenga
- Karina Madrigal
- Sonya Saenz
- Xiaoqian (Naomi) Fang
Term Expires 2024
Contact Information
Dr. Kelsey Baker (Chair)
Email: Kelsey.Baker@utrgv.edu
Ana Cruz (Admin Support)
Email: ana.cruz01@utrgv.edu
Meeting Minutes
Committee on Committees (CoC)
The Committee on Committees (COC) shall advise the Dean concerning the membership criteria, number of members, length of membership terms, and charges of the standing committees and shall make recommendations on the membership of those committees. The COC will identify qualified, interested members of the UTRGV SOM faculty, staff, and student/resident body to propose for membership on standing committees of the SOM. It may also be called upon to propose members for ad hoc committees, task forces, or other groups at the request of the Dean. In addition, the COC is responsible for periodically reviewing existing committees so that appropriate recommendations can be made to the Dean regarding changes, additions, or deletions affecting the role, scope, and structure of those committees.
Term Expires 2026
Term Expires 2025
Term Expires 2024
- Beatriz Tapia (Chair)
- Ihsan Salloum
Contact Information
Dr. Beatriz Tapia (Chair)
Email: Beatriz.Tapia@utrgv.edu
Anna Olivarez (Admin Support)
Email: Anna.Olivarez@utrgv.edu
Diversity Committee
The Diversity Committee shall have the responsibility to advise and assist the Chief Diversity Officer in developing, updating and supporting policies and programs that advance diversity and inclusion related to the SOM faculty, staff, students and other trainees, and in particular, with regard to recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion. This committee reports through the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs to the Dean and the SOM Faculty Assembly.
Contact Information
Sofia Hernandez (Chair)
Email: Sofia.Hernandez@utrgv.edu
Esmeralda Lozano (Admin Support)
Email: Esmeralda.Lozano@utrgv.edu
Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC)
The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), in collaboration with the Designated Institutional Official (DIO), is responsible for all ACGME-accredited programs of the SOM. The GMEC is responsible for establishing and implementing policies in accordance with the ACGME and the GMEC Policies and Procedures, monitoring and advising on all aspects of residency and fellowship education in sponsored GME programs, and adjudicating matters of deliberation. This responsibility includes ensuring the quality of education and the work and learning environments for all residents and fellows in all programs and ensuring compliance with ACGME policies. The GMEC shall oversee the performance of appropriate evaluations of each training program to assess compliance with both the institutional requirements and relevant program requirements of the ACGME. The GMEC shall serve as a forum for discussion of GME issues, to include not only clinical environments but also resident and fellow quality of life, recruitment, and outcomes.
Committee Roster AY 2023-2024
- Amy Stout
- Angelo Pascasio
- Brandon Cantazaro
- Carlos Ramos
- Carolina Gomez De Ziegler
- Chelsea Chang
- Christian Banawis
- Cristina Cantu
- Daniela Hernandez
- Diana Chapa
- Fatima Bello
- Gerardo Munoz-Monaco
- Guillermo Peverini
- Henry Reinhart
- James Castillo
- Jimmy Gonzales
- Joe Galvan
- Jorge Leon Casquero
- Julio Gonzalez
- Keven Aranguri
- Kristan Diaz-Rios
- Laura Garcia
- Lee Drinkard
- Magaly Morales
- Michael Sander
- Michelle Lopez
- Sarah Rodriguez
- Sason Tavakoli-Sabour
- Shreel Patel
- Sonia Padilla
- Sunand Kallumadanda
- Teresa Villagomez
- Yolanda Felion
Contact Information
Dr. Chelsea Chang
Email: Chelsea.Chang@utrgv.edu
Teresa Villagomez (Admin Support)
Email: Teresa.Villagomez@utrgv.edu
Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (MSEPC)
The Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (MSEPC) is charged with the review of the academic progress and professional development of each student during all components of the four-year medical education program. The MSEPC has a primary responsibility for recommending for graduation only those candidates who have satisfactorily completed all graduation requirements and demonstrated the professional conduct appropriate for a physician. The Committee, acting under the authority delegated to it by the Dean of the SOM, shall be responsible for decisions on leaves of absence and/or curriculum deceleration, promotion or termination of students in the academic program, and/or remediation of medical students. Students may appeal any decisions set forth by the MSEPC to the SOM Dean whose decision is final. Module and clerkship directors are not eligible for memberships.
Term Expires 2025
Term Expires 2024
- Genaro Ramirez Correa
- Joanne Curran (Chair)
Contact Information
Dr. Joanne Curran (Chair)
Email: Joanne.Curran@utrgv.edu
Optimal Learning Environment Committee (OLEC)
The Optimal Learning Environment Committee (OLEC) will help to foster a positive and professional learning environment by sponsoring initiatives, outreach and educational programming aimed at enhancing communication and professionalism in all learning environments. The OLEC is charged with:
- promoting a learning environment that best supports student and resident education;
- raising awareness about what constitutes mistreatment and unprofessional behavior through working with appropriate offices to develop educational activities for medical students, residents, and faculty;
- reviewing the results of student and resident evaluations of courses, clerkships, and rotations related to the learning environment;
- reviewing surveys of students, residents, and other groups to ascertain further information regarding positive and negative influences in this arena;
- monitoring influences (positive and negative) throughout the learning environment; and
- formulating policies, creating action plans, and reviewing ongoing data on the learning environment.
Term Expires 2026
Term Expires 2025
- Alejandra Smith
- Andrew Tsin
- Jorge Teniente
- Lori Berry
- Xioqian Fang
Term Expires 2024
- Evan Perez (Chair)
- Sheema Khan
Ex Officio Members
Contact Information
Dr. Evan Perez (Chair)
Email: Evan.D.Perez@utrgv.edu
Ms. Veronica De Hoyos (Admin Support)
Email: Veronica.Dehoyos@utrgv.edu
Promotion, Tenure and Appointment Committee (PTAC)
The Promotion Tenure and Appointment Committee (PTAC) is responsible for the oversight of all appointments of faculty members hired by the SOM; for establishing, maintaining, and implementing the criteria for promotion within the tracks and ranks of faculty; for recommending promotion and the conferral of tenure to deserving faculty members; and for post-tenure review of faculty. The committee will assess recommendations from the department chairs for appointments, promotions, and conferral of tenure. The PTAC Chair will forward all recommendations for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure to the Dean of the SOM. Recommendations for policy changes related to Appointment, Promotions, and Tenure go to the Dean's Advisory Committee. Ex officio non-voting representatives to the PTAC include the Associate Dean Faculty Affairs and the Associate Dean for Diversity. The PTAC Chair may form subcommittees as needed to address post-tenure reviews; these subcommittees may include non-PTAC members to ensure appropriate departmental representation.
Term Expires 2026
- Everardo Cobos (elected member)
- Adrian Sandoval
Term Expires 2025
- Candace Robledo (elected member)
- Jimmy Gonzales
- Leo Vela
- Padmanabhan Rengasamy
- Stanley Fisch (elected member)
Term Expires 2024
- Chelsea Chang (elected member)
- Eron Manusov (Vice Chair, elected member)
- Joanne Curran (Chair, elected member)
Ex Officio Members
Contact Information
Elizabeth Reyes (Admin Support)
Email: Elizabeth.Reyes@utrgv.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I serve on a committee?
Calls for committee membership are made annually or as needed. Interested faculty, staff, students and residents should complete the interest survey form. The information will be compiled, and the pool of potential members will be forwarded to the chair of the Committee on Committees (CoC).
Some members of committees are elected by the Faulty Assembly in accordance with the bylaws. For appointed members, below is the timeline and process for nomination and selection:
| April 1: | CoC sends out call for nominations to serve on SOM Standing Committees |
| April 2-30: | Faculty and others submit nominations (self/peer) and CoC confirms candidacy and willingness to serve |
| May 31: | CoC reviews nominations and sends a list to SOM dean with recommendations for committee membership, criteria, number of members, length of membership terms. |
| June 30: | SOM dean appoints members to SOM Standing Committees for new terms starting September 1st. |
What are my responsibilities as a member of a committee?
The responsibilities of each committee are outlined in the bylaws. Generally, committees are required to meet and submit progress reports at least quarterly. Members are required to attend meetings otherwise the chair may terminate the appointment of any member at the end of the academic year if they do not attend meetings and/or vote at least 50% of the time.
Why is it important to serve on committees?
Serving on a committee strengthens you and strengthens UTRGV SOM.
Faculty participation in committees is an excellent way of engaging in the governance of our UTRGV School of Medicine. Service on committees offers the best type of contribution in carrying out the priorities of the school while also meeting the requirements for promotion and tenure. Just as important, working together with peers to inform and steer key school issues, develop policies, and help guide administrative decisions provides the best type of professional growth. Committee service provides faculty full immersion resulting in a strong understanding of the policies and procedures of the school and its many moving parts. Together, the many moving parts form the integrity of a strong medical education for our students and community.
Contact
Dean's Office
UTRGV School of Medicine
Email: AskUTRGVsom@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 296-1900
